Moving is the mature equivalent of high school—everybody is super zealous about the thought, but it is only the ones with realistic expectations who end up having a good time. Yes, it is a new house, a new beginning, and the opportunity of a wonderful new life--but once that last empty moving truck leaves and you're standing there in the middle of your boxes, you have still got to do the real work.
Managing your move with realistic expectations is fundamental to starting that new life on a positive note--and that means not only accepting the fact that a new home won't magically melt off the thirty pounds you want to lose, but that moving is emotionally exhausting even in ideal circumstances and you and your family should allot the time and space to accept that.
One of the crazy things about a local move--new home, neighborhoods, schools--is that can be harder on the kids than a long-distance relocation. A new home across the country removes the constant requests to go visit their friends in the old neighborhood, and it is less difficult to adopt a new life and new friends when your old ones are in a different time zone.
But let’s get back to the main point. There are three Ps involved with managing your move to or in Colorado Springs--Purge, Pack, and Pay. What you do not purge will need to be packed, and the more you pack, the more you will pay. Expectation—I will get rid of old stuff and only keep what I love. Reality--you love a lot more than you think you do. Regardless if you handle your own packing or hire professionals, you have got to choose what is worth the time and money to pack and move.
Purge
Purging is one of those weird words you don't hear a lot, at least in a affirmative connotation. In actuality, getting rid of the old baggage is one of the wisest ways so that you can let your new abode to bestow your expectations of wonderful. There are hundreds of guidelines and suggestions to assist you in figuring out the best methods to get rid of your old items, from practical--"if you haven't used/worn it in a year get rid of it"; to a bit wacky--"toss all your negative energy out with the old towels". At its basic level, purging is merely going through all the cabinets, closets and drawers and forming three piles: take with you, toss, donate. Or you may have four piles if you have got some very gently used things that you do not want anymore, and consign those items.
A difficult thing about purging is retaining the aloofness you need to be ruthless about throwing away things. If you saved all those pre-school art projects, how can you throw them away and be a good parent? Here's one suggestion—appoint a friend to assist you to sort through things and talk you through why you're keeping items that are really better out of the house. Having a friend ask you out loud why you want to keep the 1980s cassette tapes does put things in relative importance and you will have an easier time growing the toss pile if you've got someone to back-up your decisions.
If your spouse is the one with the pack rat impulses, here is a suggestion for assisting a reluctant participant part with their treasures. Think small, and commence with the kitchen junk drawers, try to limit handling of old matchbooks and broken screwdrivers to one time only and gradually get to larger items, like collections (for example, select two or three porcelain bunnies and donate or consign the rest).
Join us next time as we discuss managing your move topics: Pack and Pay, in Part 2 of this blog series.
